Help us raise $30,000.
Why? To continue our annual camp for families all over Australia to meet others just like them.

TSAA has just run it’s 4th annual camp—we need to raise $30,000 to ensure we can book again for next year. We only need 1000 x $30—we can do this with your help.

#I’m Just Like You CAMPaign

To give an inside view, TSAA created a 3 minute video with children and families affected by TS while attending a previous annual camp. The input of the children themselves determined the content—from their perspective and personal experiences.

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TSAA is the only organisation in Australia committed to supporting people effected by Tourette Syndrome. TSAA is a volunteer, self funded registered charity. After 27 years of campaigning and spreading awareness most people in the community have now heard the term Tourettes—but few have a true understanding of what it means.

Welcome to the Tourette Syndrome Association
of Australia Inc.

Tourette Syndrome, (TS), is a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary, irresistible body movements and vocalizations. It is complex and individual in its effect. See What is Tourette Syndrome? for a more detailed description.

People with TS seek understanding and acceptance. This website is designed to educate and inform those wishing to know more about this complex disorder.

An Introduction to life with Tourettes

The above video was created in 2008 by TSAA for our awareness campaign. As TS is 3 to 4 times more common in boys than girls and usually diagnosed around age 8 or 9, we focused on an 8 year old boy to tell the story. We chose to portray a mild to 'average' case to counter balance the more severe cases normally shown in the media. TS is a spectrum disorder making it important to represent the full range of cases. TS symptoms vary from mere aggravation to severe debilitation.

TS was first described in 1825 by French physician Itard in relation to a French noble woman Marquise de Dampierre, who exhibited strange body movements and peculiar vocalisations and obscene remarks from the age of seven.

In 1885 George Gilles de la Tourette began research into Tourette Syndrome being the first to connect multiple, complex and varied symptoms forming a syndrome. Dr Tourette named the syndrome 'Maladie des Tics' which was later named in recognition of his discovery, and called 'Gilles de la Tourette' — so we have known about it for a long time, however even today it still remains misunderstood by many.

Appropriate medical care can help control symptoms, while understanding and acceptance can accomplish even more.